drdavewatford

This has got to be one of the strangest threads on EB for some time, but I like it ! You'll be delighted to hear that the new modular, Pet Shop, features a very nice coffee machine - Jamie Berard even refers to it in his video 'review' of the new set. So perhaps he's the caffeine addict...... D.

There's a new forum over at Brickset which is specifically aimed at AFOLs and excludes under 16's. On the forum is a 'sticky' which lists Lego User Groups and events around the globe. It's early days yet, but people are gradually adding details of groups and events to the list. When people join the forum, they often post an introductory message stating where they're located, and many of those posts become discussion threads where others in the same area respond. So you might want to check it out, if you're over 16. URL is http://www.bricksetforum.com/ D.

Near the time that the Eiffel Tower set was being retired, LEGO brand stores were offering them for around £150. I intended to visit a store to buy one, but couldn't go at the last minute. Next time I looked, they were all gone. A few months later I ended up paying £230 + shipping on eBay for a MISB one. So that's the biggest premium I've paid for a retired set I guess. At the time I was a bit frustrated, and promised myself I'd never put off buying a set at retail and end up having to pay a premium on eBay. A postscript to this story is that since then the price of this set seems to have gone through the roof; I've seen MISB examples go for well over £500, and a used set went for £409 on eBay earlier this week. Mine's still MISB, and I guess some would say it should stay that way now given the increase in price....... That's not the plan, however - I bought it to build, so providing I find the time that's what I'll do. That having been said, my build queue is running into the hundreds, so whether it actually gets built is another matter entirely.....

Superb review, Rufus - many thanks ! In some ways it's particularly good to see the alternate builds as these tend to get ignored by many. I'm becoming ever more partial to these Creator houses - I must have 6 or 7 now - and this one is another 'must buy' for me, although I agree that it's maybe not as appealing as the last few Creator houses. D.

I have a cheeky question, Christopher - do you have a parts inventory for the Midi Venator you could share ? Thanks ! D.

"When I finish this (I am catching up, not falling behind so I should) I think the sites should try to work out a standard so we can all update at once; Brickset has an excellent interface standard which makes it possible. If I added something similar the sites could talk together and do the work for us!" Now this would be truly excellent. I read a couple of very nice reviews of old SW sets recently posted on EB and immediately realised that the Brickset links were already out of date. Some way of automatically capturing reviews as they appear on EB would be ideal.

Lovely as ever, Christopher ! I think I'll have to build a MIDI scale Venator using your instructions - it's superb ! D.

I'm really liking these sets.......thought they'd be for kids, but at 40+ I guess I prove they're for AFOLs too !

Not sure this qualifies as a re-release as the set number is the same and there has never been a break in availability. Early sets had a stability issue, but the newer sets have been modified accordingly which accounts for the different part count.

You're absolutely right. I proposed to Huw (Brickset webmaster) that Brickset consider linking to the Eurobricks reviews some time last year for precisely that reason, namely the degree of quality control directed towards the reviews at EB. Not all of them are good by any means, but the Reviewers' Academy is having a great impact on the quality of reviews on the EB site and for me at least EB is now the first place I look for decent quality photo reviews of sets old and new. Pleasingly, Huw was amenable to the suggestion and so we reached out to one of the EB admins to see what he thought of the idea. The feedback we got was positive, so to get us going I manually grabbed the URLs for Star Wars Episode 1 and 2 set reviews to start us off, Huw added links to the set details pages, and things seem to have taken off from there. It should indeed lead to increased exposure for EB and better integration of the Brickset and EB communities (although I suspect there's already a far bit of overlap). I was delighted to see that folks at EB will even be supplying the info that Huw needs to link to the reviews going forward - this is the kind of cooperation that will greatly benefit everybody I think. Dr. D.

Superb as usual, Anio - great job ! Why no observation tower (or whatever it's called) in your version ? Dr. D.

I know what you mean, but it was designated a UCS set by LEGO, same as the Darth Maul Bust (set 10018) was; I did a photo review of 7194 (there's a link in my sig below) including a picture of the box. @fff - I'd rather we got a new UCS set than a remake of Yoda, even perhaps a Boba Fett bust ! Dr. D.

7194 ? Of course it was UCS - it even says "Ultimate Collector Series" on the box. You can't get any more definitive than that.... Dr. D.

It's coming along nicely, Pete - can't wait to see it at NSC ! Cheers, D.

Is there a parts inventory online somewhere ? D.

Sorry for joining the party so late but I couldn't let this outstanding review pass without sending Rufus a hearty "bravo" ! I particularly love the 'dancing AT-AT' shots, and the "stealing the mail' description of trying to get to the contents of the box without actually tearing it open was classic ! For what it's worth, this is actually my least favourite AT-AT. I take the point about accuracy, but 4483 just looks more solid, while I actually like the squat 10178 shape, plus the fact that it has that walking trick up its sleeve ! I even prefer the mini version (4489) which I reviewed on Eurobricks ages back. Finally, I was one of those who thought it was crazy to release this new AT-AT when 10178 was still on sale. Still, thanks to the review I guess I grew to love 8129 just a little bit - it must have been the "sit up and beg" picture....

Many thanks for the review ! I like the Architecture sets and have most of them. I have to say, however, that the thought of having to place over 230 1x1 tiles on this model fills me with dread. They're just so hard to get neatly aligned ! I can't see past the tedious build I'm afraid, and thus will probably pass on this set. D.

Ha ! It was the hula skirt that immediately caught my eye too - nice detail ! D.

Thanks for the superb review, Rufus ! The Y-Wing is one of my favourite UCS sets, and your review really does it justice. Criticisms regarding accuracy are IMHO absurd - as if anybody needed telling, LEGO is not a medium which lends itself to the kind of precision you can get with snap-together models from the likes of Revell for a fraction of the price. I hope and pray we get another couple of Star Wars UCS sets this year...... After the superb Imperial Shuttle and the so-so Jedi Starfighter last year, I wonder what's next ? D.

Thanks for the excellent review, Kim. This was a "must buy" set from the moment I first saw it, and your review just reinforces that ! As well as being a superbly designed engine, the added extras such as the truck make it even more desirable. Set of the year so far I think, along with Diagon Alley.

Why take inspiration from Enlighten's instructons when you can just download the instructions for the original LEGO Santa Fe Super Chief, BNSF etc. for free and refer to those instead.....? D.

Certainly quite a rare set. It took me a while to find one of these complete with a box, and when I did I had to pay a premium for it. I agree with you that the Geonosian minifigs are great. The ship looks quite awkward to me, but there's not much that LEGO can do about the source material ! I think that if it wasn't for the minifigs this set would not really be in demand. But then, that's also true for sets like Cloud City, Cantina etc. Thanks for the excellent review - much appreciated ! D.

Buying modulars is like eating chocolate - you might start with the intention of just getting one of them, but once it's yours you will be desperate for more...... :-) D.

Thanks, Brickster, for a splendid review ! I have to confess I was ready NOT to like this set..... The big nose section really put me off, and it all looked a bit Playmobil to me. I only bought it because I collect the LEGO shuttles and wanted to keep the collection complete. Once built, however, I loved the minifig and interchangeable helmet, I liked the play features, and found the ship quite nice and swooshable. An unexpected WIN for me. D.

Many thanks, Siegfried - I'm pleased you like my blog, and I appreciate your thoughtful guidance which makes perfect sense to me. I think my question was significantly driven by laziness rather than a desire to increase traffic to my site ! When I see a question on the forums that I've already carefully considered via a blog posting I often can't be bothered to reply because I've already "been there, done that" ! It would however seem to be OK to reply with a brief 'summary of my thoughts', together with a link for people who want to read more. Regarding set reviews, your example is helpful and if I do link to reviews on my blog I'll ensure to do as you suggest. Best wishes, David.